Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Utilizing Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Language Function in Stroke Patients with Chronic Non-fluent Aphasia
Published on: July 2, 2013
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation may induce language switching in bilingual patients
Paul Holtzheimer1, Walid Fawaz, Christopher Wilson
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. pholtzh@emory.edu
Abstract:
The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) may participate in the process of language switching in multilingual individuals. We present two cases of bilingual patients who experienced unexpected language switching after receiving high-frequency, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the left DLPFC as a treatment for major depression. These preliminary findings support the role of the DLPFC in language switching in polyglots and highlight the potential value of rTMS for non-invasively investigating language function in humans. Further investigation is warranted.

